"Practical artist, grounded road-tripper, focused daydreamer, sociable loner, mellow control freak and MuSiC LoVer"
The journey that led me to this wonderful place in life that I am now, started one fine spring day after elementary school. I was a mere 10 years old when my older brother Todd introduced me to 'Ripple' by the Grateful Dead. My life would never be the same.
Surrounding myself with open minded people and creative types gave me a unique outlook on life and introduced me to some amazing experiences and wonderful adventures with people that I will always cherish.
Despite my love for travel, I have always held a 9 to 5. I am no stranger to responsibilities, heck, I was home owner at the age of 23! I figured that if I had to have a job, it might as well be something that interests me, so I tried to combine my love for the arts and music into my work. Two of my favorite places to work were: The House of Guitars, which is the largest music store in the WORLD, and Ticket Express which sold tickets to everything from Broadway musicals to rock concerts. Thank goodness all of my employers were very flexible when it came to my schedule. Somehow I always got lucky with bosses that understood my need for travel.
For as far back as I can remember, in my spare time I was always creating something. Painting, sewing, drawing, decoupaging, macrame, lampwork bead making and photography are just some of the creative outlets I have used over the years. For me, its a way to relieve the stress of everyday life. When I am in the zone, all worries melt away and I feel completely free.
It was not until 2006 when I finally merged my love for music, art and travel. While on the road following my favorite bands from state to state I started selling hemp necklaces to offset the cost of hotels, food, tickets, and gas. With more money in my pocket, it was not long until I realized that this was a great way to see even MORE shows!
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In 2008, Sunshyne Silverwear was born. Everyone always asks me where I came up with the idea for the spoon pendants so here is the story: I was working as a medical biller at an eye doctor's office. One of my co-workers came into work wearing a necklace that had the shape of a spoon. I loved the idea of making a necklace out of an actual spoon, so after much trial and error, I finally came up with something that worked well and looked great. I could not wait to get these necklaces out on the street! In early 2009. I debuted my spoon pendants at the Phish reunion shows at the famous Hampton Coliseum.
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After years of selling my spoon pendants at concerts and small craft shows, I decided that this was the life that I loved and the only way to pursue it wholeheartedly was to quit my day job and become the full time artist I longed to be.
In the middle of May 2011, I put my two weeks notice in at the eye doctor's office. Nothing could have prepared me for the unique experience of being a small business owner. While it is great to be able to play hooky when you want and to work in your PJ's if you please, you also have to make sure that you are on point with the MANY tasks at hand if you want your business to grow and be self sustainable.
Presently, my days are filled with new experiences and opportunities that I never would have had if I did not take the leap of faith. To be honest, I think I work WAY more per week that I ever have before, but it's true what they say about loving what you do.
I still live in the house in the city I bought almost ten years ago. I have two doggies that teach me daily about love, life and about not taking things too seriously.
All in all, life is pretty good, and I never would have gotten here if it were not for you. I owe it all to the people who appreciate my art and have helped me get the word out about what I do. You all are the best, thank you.
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To get the scoop on what's going on in my daily life, feel free to follow my blog or come out and see me at one of the many craft shows that I will be participating in year round. I love to meet the folks who have backed me over the years.
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"Life may be sweeter for this, I don't know. Feels like it might be alright." ~ The Grateful Dead
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